Ironing board



1929- J. E. KALGREN IRONING BOARD Filed Sept. 17, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l Amgl Nov. 5, 1929. KALGREN 1,734,527

IRONING BOARD Filed Sept. 17, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 5, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT orrrcr: i

. JOHN E. KALGBEN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO THE J. R. CLARK 00.,

OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA IRONING BOARD Application filed September 17, 1927. Serial No. 220,273.

My present invention relates to ironing boards and is in the nature of a modification of or improvement on the ironing board disclosed and claimed in an application filed by me of even date herewith and entitled Ironing board.

Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompan 'ng drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like arts throughout the several views.

Referrmg to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective showing the improved ironing board set up for use;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the ironing board showing the leg structure folded against the bottom of the board;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through the board approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2 but with the parts positioned as shown in Figs. 1 and 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail in section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, some parts being removed and some parts being broken away; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

The ironing oard has the customary top board 7, to the under side of the rear end of which is riveted, bolted or otherwise rigidly secured a hinge bracket shown as in the form of a fiat metal strap 8 having oblique downturned lug-forming ends 9. Rear legs 10 are pivotally connected at their upper ends-to the lugs 9, and these legs, far above their lower ends, are connected by a toggle link 11. The intermediate joint of the toggle link 11 is connected to'the respective legs by normally oblique secondary toggles 12, one member of each of which toggles has an offset stop lug 13. An inclined third leg 14 is pivotally connected to the bottom of the board and extends forwardly from the rear legs. Preferably, and as shown, this leg 14, at its upper end, is directly pivoted to annular hinge lugs or brackets 15 riveted, bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the bottom of the. board. The

intermediate portion of the main toggle 11 is connected to the bottom of the board by a toggle-actuating rod or link 16,-the upper end of which is bent laterally and used as the pivotal connection between the upper 'end of the leg 14, and at its projecting end is provided with a nut 17.

A top brace is pivotally connected to the rear legs and is detachably engageable with the bottom of the board. This top brace is a bifurcated member made up of two bars 18,

the lower ends of which are pivotally connected to the intermediate portions of the respective rear legs 10, and .the free ends of which bars are tied together with a link 19. The free ends of the bars 18 are engageable with a shoulder formed on the bottom of the board 7 by a cleat or strip 20.

A bottom brace connects the lower end the inclined leg 14 to the top brace andto the rear legs. This latter connection, as shown, being made directly to the bars of said stop brace by means of sliding pivotal connections. To afford the said sliding pivotal connections, I have shown U-shaped guide heads 21 that are pivoted to the bars 18 at 22. The bottom brace is preferably a light rod or heavy wire 23 bent into approximately U-shape and having its bow pivotally attached to the leg 14 at 24. The legs for the brace 23 slide freely through the respective guide heads 21. At their front ends the legs of said brace 23 are formed with heads 25. The short upper end of the inclined leg 14 is shown as beveled and provided with a yielding stop element in the form of a rubber button or head 26 which compensates for the variations in the leg and brace structures and serves to keep the leg and brace structures always under tension when the board is set up as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. When the board is set up for use as illustrated in the views just above noted, the free end of the top brace 18 will be tightly pressed and held against the cleat 20 and the bottom brace 23 will be put under tension and the several braces and legs will be put under stresses that will hold the same firmly set up and against accidental dropping out of position. lVhen the device is set up it will of course be understood that the heads 25 of the will be spaced beyond the sides of the board,

thereby giving stability to the ironing board. When the main toggle 11 is straightened out as stated, the secondary toggles 12 will of course be straightened out but they will be prevented from moving to dead centers by their stops 13. The secondary toggles limit the upward buckling movement of the main toggle and cooperate therewith to form a truss connection between the rear legs that will be very rigidly set when the rear legs are turned downward.

When the leg structure is to be folded, the

free end of the top brace 18 must first be sprung out of engagement with the top cleat 20 and then forced against the bottom of the board, which movement causes the rear legs 10 to move upward against the bottom of the board and permits the oblique leg 14 to partake of a similar movement so that all of the folding parts may be folded flatwise against the bottom of the board. When the rear legs are moved upwardly toward or against the bottom, the main toggle 11 will be downward- 1y buckled by the thrust produced through rod 16, and the secondary toggles 12 will also be downwardly buckled. The buckling movements of these toggles cause the legs 10 to move closer together as they are moved toward the bottom of the board so that when they are folded against the bottom of the board, said rear legs and in fact the other folding parts will be within the width of the board, as shown in Fig. 2, by reference to which it will also be noted that the leg 14 is of such length and so pivotally attached to the board that when folded it will be within the length of the board.

This improved ironing board of simple construction and of low manufacturing cost is highly etficient in that it is Very rigid when set up, may be quickly set up and taken down,

and when folded will occupy a minimum of space for the purpose of storage or shipment.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a board, of a pair of main legs pivoted to said board for forward folding movement, a toggle connecting said legs, and a non-collapsible thrust rod pivotally connected to the intermediate portion of said toggle at its lower end and pivotally connected at its upper end to said board at a point forward of the main leg pivots, whereby said toggle will be buckled and said legs drawn closer together when the latter are folded against the board.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in combination with secondary toggles pivotally connected to the respective main legs below the main to gles and to the intermediate portion of sai main toggle and adapted to be buckled when said main toggle is buckled,

ature. EN. 

